Bisphenol compounds, including alkoxylated bisphenols, are used as raw materials in many chemical compositions. They are useful as monomers for epoxy, polyester and polyurethane resins and reactive diluents in high solids coatings. These materials are typically made by combining a bisphenol compound with an alkylene oxide compound in the presence of a base catalyst under elevated temperature and pressure. The resulting alkoxylated bisphenol composition contains a certain amount of bisphenol that has not reacted with the alkylene oxide compound. There is a growing demand in the marketplace for materials with low bisphenol content. More specifically, there is an increasing need for materials with low residual Bisphenol A content.
This invention provides a solution to the problem of creating materials that contain low amounts of residual Bisphenol A, and more specifically, of creating alkoxylated materials that contain low amounts of residual Bisphenol A. By modifying certain steps of the manufacturing process, the inventor has discovered that alkoxylated materials having a Bisphenol A content of less than or equal to 200 ppm can be consistently achieved. This is desirable for end use products, such as direct and/or indirect food contact packaging products, wherein the free Bisphenol A content is significantly reduced.